Notes on 2 Corinthians 12

1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul wanted no reverence or worship directed to him. All glory belongs to God, and he was careful to emphasize that. His vision of Heaven, and the other revelations he mentions, were given to him by God's sovereign will, not because of any merit he possessed. We should not expect to gain understanding of any of the mysteries of God through our own logic or efforts; we should just be submitted to his will, and open to whatever he wants to show us. Worldly wisdom comes from the knowledge and experience of living in the world; godly wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit, in the study of God's word and in the daily fellowship of prayer. The assurance we have of the truth of our faith comes through that same witness of the Holy Spirit within us.

Strength in weakness is a recurring theme in scripture, and involves the recognition of our utter dependence on God. Self-reliance and individualism are American credos, and both are contrary to the Bible's teachings; as Christians we are to rely first of all on God. Our strength, the Spirit said through Nehemiah, is the joy of the Lord (Nehemiah 8:10), and joy comes out of godly love. (John 15:1-11), that abiding in Christ that comes only when we are his. Paul saw his own physical weakness (there is some evidence he had an eye disease of some kind) as a means of assuring he did not succumb to spiritual pride. That is one of the greatest threats for spiritually gifted people, especially those in positions of leadership. One of the saddest things to behold is for a well-known pastor or evangelist to fall into sin, springing out of the arrogant assumption that they owe their success to their own talents or abilities rather than to God. The more well-known they are, the greater the discredit to the Gospel they are supposed to proclaim. More often than not, their sins involve sexual lust or greed, or both.

Paul accepted his physical weakness, and because he did, God used him to do great and mighty things. The natural reaction when life sends troubles and trials our way is to moan and complain; self-pity is an indulgence Christians cannot afford. Sometimes God allows hard times to come our way as a means of chastising us for disobedience; at others, though, he wants to strengthen our faith, to prepare us for a greater level of service to him. Fire doesn't only destroy; it also purifies, like silver or gold in the furnace (Proverbs 25:4). Metal can only be shaped when it is heated in a furnace, and if we are to be God's instruments, he has to shape us for his use. Anything in our lives that is of the world, any lust of the flesh or eye, or the pride of life, makes us impure, and imperfect instruments. When the dross is burned away, what remains is the Spirit of God at work in and through us. On our own, we have no strength, power or authority; that's what the Lord helped Paul recognize.

11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?
18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Here again Paul speaks of the grasping, selfish nature of the Corinthian church. Far from being grateful to Paul and his companions for leading many of them to Christ and nurturing them in their faith, they were accusing him of having made some gain at their expense. His interest, though, was not in enriching himself with money, but in building up the church. It must have hurt him deeply to see such ingratitude, to know that his love for them was not reciprocated. This is a picture of God's love for us; he is grieved as well when we reject his love, and repay his mercy and grace with rebellion. Spiritual pride characterizes the Corinthian church, but this pride encouraged, and was fed by, a spirit of rebellion.

Splits in churches are a sad fact of life in Christianity. Though sometimes splits occur because of fundamental differences in doctrine, the reasons are often more carnal. Like the church at Corinth, congregations tend often to cluster around personalities, and when a leader of a faction takes personal offence at something, the whole group is offended. Swelling refers to a spirit of pride, or haughtiness; the other terms all refer to the kinds of arguments, gossip, and undercutting that mark so much of church life. Unity brings peace, and God can make powerful use of a unified church. It is precisely because of that fact (witness the disciples unity at Pentecost) that Satan and his servants expend so much effort in trying to divide congregations and split them apart. When a church turns inward, and expends most of its time and energy dealing with problems within, it ceases to be an effective instrument for spreading the Gospel. Whether it turns to legalism, like the Galatian church or license, like the Corinthians, the end result is the same: a powerless church. Just as with individuals, churches can regain a right relationship with God by taking two steps: recognition, or confession, and repentance. If a congregation denies there even is a problem, when there clearly is, there is no possible way to deal with them. Recognizing them, and confessing them to God, is not enough if things remain the same. The Corinthian church was obviously contrite when God, through Paul, made them aware of the blatant sin they were tolerating, but his concern was that, despite that recognition, their behavior had not changed.

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